


Iridescent Volume 1: Remnant Unmasked

by shockfactor



Series: Iridescent [1]
Category: RWBY, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: AU, BAMF Obi-Wan Kenobi, Clones, Cody doesn't care about your feelings, Heavy AU elements, If it flies Oddball can crash it., Multi, Post-Episode: s02e05 Landing at Point Rain, Qrow's on that semi-jedi shit, Remnant is in the Star Wars Universe, Volume 2 (RWBY), Waxer loves everyone, Wooley is such a bean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-05 05:47:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12184083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shockfactor/pseuds/shockfactor
Summary: In an attempt to ascertain the whereabouts of two missing Republic ambassadors, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the 7th Sky Corps are sent to a recently-charted planet in Wild Space. As they face this brave new world, making new alliances and meeting new foes, the Jedi General and his men learn that the bonds between them are perhaps the most important thing they have.WORK IS STARTING BACK UP. RESUMING WORK ON THE FIC.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> While You Read
> 
> Chapter 1 Soundtrack
> 
> Black Disembark : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSqm5Id6Hw0  
> Obi-Wan's Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lKnvS3gNA4&list=RDQMEi3z8vvJDhY&index=3

**IRIDESCENT**

**Uncharted Territory! At the height of the Clone Wars, the Republic's explorations in Wild Space leads to the discovery of a new, uncharted planet in the Red Twins System, near the planet Acherin. Ambassadors are sent to this new planet, only to disappear without a trace. Suspecting that the Separatist Alliance has already reached the system without their knowledge, the Jedi Council sends Obi-Wan Kenobi and the 7th Sky Corps, along with their flagship, The _Negotiator_ , to find the ambassadors and make contact with the local population.**

 

**...**

 

 

The blue and white vortex of hyperspace always served to relax Obi-Wan's war-torn nerves. Standing on the bridge of the  _Negotiator_ , the Jedi Master sighed, looking over the bridge as his men furtively managed the many delicate systems of the  _Venator-_ class ship. The sound of armored feet caught his attention, and he looked back over his shoulders to see his clone commander approaching, helmet tucked under his arm.

"Ah, Cody. The men are ready to disembark?" he asked.

Cody nodded. "They're as ready as they'll ever be, sir. They're a bit jumpy, but they'll manage. The paras are also ready for orders."

"Very good. We'll be exiting hyperspace soon." 

Obi-Wan turned about to face Cody. "So, tell me- what do we know about this 'Remnant?'"

Cody and Obi-Wan approached the holoprojector, with Cody setting his helmet down, and opening up an image of the planet and its moon and pointing out various landmasses and points. "Remnant is a monolunar planet with a magmatic core. There's various different ecosystems throughout the planet, but the populations are focused on three continents. According to information collected by Ambassador Tochin before his disappearance, the continents are known as Anima, Sanus, and Solitas, with another landmass that the locals refused to identify by name. According to the ambassador, the system of government is... well, it's not centralized. Apparently, there are four major 'kingdoms', two on Sanus, one on Solitas, and one on Anima, each run by an independent council. Sanus contains the kingdom of Vacuo, a barren desert kept civil by 'Shade Academy', while Vale is a mountainous, forested region with a prominent coastline, and is mildly urbanized. Solitas contains Atlas, a highly urbanized kingdom with a strong military and industrial infrastructure, as well as a much more streamlined system of government. Finally, there's Mistral on Anima. Mistral is the largest and most diverse of the kingdoms, including cliffs, deserts, swamps, and flatlands. It also has a rather... sizeable crime sector. There are also non-kingdom settlements such as Vytal and Menagerie."

"What about the military presence there? What are we possibly facing?"

"Ambassador Tochin was able to make a liason with all four kingdoms, so to our knowledge they aren't hostile to us, sir. The military is... rather lax in most of the kingdoms. All of them have protocols in place to raise an army in the event of war, but apparently, only Atlas has a standing force. Their main combat strength is made up of 'Huntsmen' and 'Huntresses'. They're trained in melee and ranged combat with a variety of different weapons with specialized technology that runs off of 'dust', a resource that, to the Republic's knowledge, is unique to Remnant, and they supposedly have... rather strange abilities. Each of the Kingdoms has an 'Academy' dedicated to training these individuals- Vale's Beacon Academy, Vacuo's Shade, Atlas' Atlas, and Mistral's Haven. There are also smaller schools that teach introductory lessons as well as life skills."

"The ambassador said they were willing to join the Republic?" Obi-Wan inquired.

"No. Ambassador Tochin was sent merely to observe and learn, not for diplomatic purposes. Ambassador Roola was supposed to retrieve him after he established formal relations between Remnant and the Republic, but he disappeared before that could happen. We were also unable to contact Ambassador Tochin at that time."

"Unfortunate... what can you tell me about the planet's population?"

"Various flora and fauna, but the major groupings are humans, Faunus, and Grimm. The Faunus are humanoids with slightly abnormal physiological mutations, mostly of similar nature to the planet's non-sentient animal life. The Grimm are the main predators of the planet, and are apparently the reason the system of Huntsmen and Huntresses were created. It's likely that they outnumber the human population."

"Hm." Obi-Wan stroked his beard, looking over at his commander. "Where was Ambassador Tochin when he went missing?"

"He had been staying near Beacon Academy, sir, in Vale."

"Then that's where we're headed. Tell Ghost Company to load up. I don't expect trouble, but it is better to be safe than sorry."

"Right away, sir!"

With that, Cody grabbed his helmet, saluted, and exited the bridge, leaving General Kenobi to watch as the ship exited hyperspace above Remnant. The planet's marbled surface looked stunning in the light of the stars, its moon floating in orbit, shattered, yet at the same time beautiful. 

 _'I wonder what could have caused such damage to this moon,_ " Obi-Wan wondered. 

"General, there's no sign of any Separatist ships in the system," one of the bridge crew informed him, looking over the scanners.

"Good. The less enemies we have to face, the better. I'll be heading off. I leave the ship in your capable hands."

"Sir!" the bridge crew replied.

* * *

Waxer had been shining his armor in the hangar bay, patiently awaiting launch hour.

"I say we should go in guns blazing," muttered Boil as he put on his own helmet.

"That seems a little excessive, Boil," Crys replied, calm as ever. "We don't know that the Ambassador was assassinated. For all we know he could have just fallen ill, or simply neglected to check in." 

"It's been almost a full standard month, Lieutenant. If he's that neglectful, I don't know how he ever managed to get the job," Trapper deadpanned. examining the new paint he'd applied to his armor. 

"General Kenobi says we're to go in peacefully. We're only there in case of an emergency," Crys explained, clipping on his new kama. He'd been promoted from Sergeant to Lieutenant at General Kenobi's insistence after his actions during the search for Grievous.

"And hopefully there isn't one," Wooley added, fastening his chestplate. He'd earned his stripes after Geonosis, and Waxer had helped him paint his armor. A pair of goldenrod lines ran diagonally on his helmet, converging at his T-visor, which was ringed in the same color. His armor, meanwhile, was wrapped in the standard décor of the 212th Attack Battalion. 

"We'll be fine, Wooley," Waxer assured him, standing up. "The General knows what he's doing-he's supposedly the best negotiator in the Republic."

"Then why didn't they send _him_ to this kriffing backwater?" Boil asked.

"... he's got a point," Trapper admitted.

"Well, if it isn't our favorite flyboy!" one of the shinies, 4-4-4-4, piped up, drawing the veterans' attention to Odd-Ball, who rubbed the back of his helmet nervously. 

"Ah, enough with the flattering. How's it going, boys?"

"Well enough," Crys replied. 

"I'll be flying you in today. Commander Cody insisted that I bring us into the blue."

"We're flying in on a transport?" Boil asked.

"They aren't expecting trouble, and the escort frigates are just here in the event of a Seppie ground presence. A LAAT landing is covert and much less... paranoia-inducing."

"Fair enough," Wooley agreed. "I wouldn't like it if someone dragged a big combat frigate into my atmosphere with no prior warning."

"Well, Boil, looks like you don't get your wish after all," Waxer jibed.

"We could take the whole planet... probably."

The next clone to enter the hangar bay was Cody himself. The Commander had already grabbed his weapons and equipment on the way out of the bridge.

"Commander on deck!" Crys barked, and the soldiers of Ghost Company all snapped to attention, with 44 hitting himself in the faceplate due to the vigor of his salute. Boil groaned in embarrassment. 

"Alright men, listen up," Cody started, "because I'm only going to tell you this once. We're headed into relatively new territory. The population most likely does not know who or what we are, so they may be a bit touchy when they first see us. I want you boys on hearts and minds. Win them over if you can, last thing we need is a hostile population. Alpha platoon, it's going to be on you, we're leaving the rest of Ghost Company on call. Your objectives are as follows: Make contact with the locals, find any sign of Ambassadors Roola and Tochin, and ensure that there are no Separatist forces on the ground. Am I understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Alright, load up!"

Odd-Ball loaded up into the cockpit, another pilot sitting down in the copilot's seat, as the rest of the clones filed into the gunship, grabbing onto the railing over their heads. 

"Now we just have to wait for the General..." Boil muttered.

As if he were summoned by mere mention, Obi-Wan entered the trooper's view, hopping onto the gunship and standing between Trapper and Cody. "Gentlemen? I assume all the gear is packed?"

"Yes sir!" Cody replied.

"We brought some heavy weapons in case of emergency, General," Waxer informed him. "Couple of Z-6s and rocket launchers, plus one of those prototype EMP lobbers and Arc Casters."

"Hopefully, all goes according to plan and we won't need them." The General looked over his assembled platoon. "Can I get a roll call?"

"Sound-off!" Crys ordered.

"Waxer!"

"Boil!"

"Trapper."

"Wooley!"

"Bonecrusher!"

"Wildside!"

"Crys!"

"Cody!"

"CT-4444!"

"CT-7811"

"Slicer!"

"Scalpel!"

"Edge!"

The men went down the line, until all 35 men on the LAAT were accounted for. 

"Pilots?" Obi-Wan inquired.

"Odd-Ball standing by."

"Dropshot standing by."

"Excellent, we're all accounted for. Dropshot, Odd-Ball, shut the doors and prepare for take-off."

"Sir!"

With that, the LAAT/I 's doors slowly drew shut, drowning out all but a few strips of light before the safety shutters closed as well. The ship was now pitch black.

"...I don't like the dark," one of the rookies spoke up.

"Shut up, 3-2..." another griped.

As the gunship lifted off and flew towards the opening doors of the Venator, Waxer looked over at the General.

"You ever done this before, sir? A black disembark?"

"You'll have to elaborate on that term, Waxer."

"It means going in on a gunship 'through the black'. In space."

"In that case, no. Have you?"

"I didn't even know you could," Wooley replied. "I mean, I know you 'can', I just didn't understand the logistics of it."

"Never have, idea kind of scares me..." Waxer admitted. "One malfunction and you're stuck in space until you kark it."

"And it's really dark," 32 added.

"Oh, will you SHUT UP about the dark? You have a VISOR, 32," a rookie groaned.

"Look, brother, I wouldn't have this problem if everyone didn't shove me into lockers back on Kamino!"

"Just put on the visor and quit your griping, 32..."

"Cut it, 77," Cody ordered.

"Sir," the rookie replied.

"Cut on the light," Cody ordered, and a pair of red bulbs washed the interior of the gunship in crimson. 

 "That's better," 32 piped up, sounding relieved.

"Good, now keep the chatter down until we get into the atmosphere."

With that, a curtain of silence fell over the gunship, as the men retreated to their thoughts. Obi-Wan felt a small prickle in the air, a minute disturbance in the Force, coming from his right. Trapper seemed uneasy- understandable, since his last gunship ride killed everyone else on board except himself and Kenobi. Resting a gloved hand on the ARF Trooper's shoulder, he sent a pulse through the Force, attempting to soothe his mind.

"Thank you sir," the clone said quietly.

Obi-Wan nodded, turning his eyes to the rest of the men on board the ship. He knew every one of these men by number or name, something that the men took great pride in. He'd heard them interacting with other troopers from other units, bragging about their General when they thought he wasn't listening. It gave him a small burst of pride in his heart every time his men said 'well, MY general saved my life TWICE!'

"General, troops, just got word that the LZ is gonna be rather wet. Hope you don't mind soggy rations, boys," Odd-Ball informed them.

"I hate the rain..." Boil muttered.

"You seem to hate everything, Boil," Obi-Wan noted, smirking over his shoulder at the trooper in question.

"W-well, not everything, General!"

"He's just  _very_ picky about his  _everything_ ," Scalpel joked. "Pretty sure he'd refuse my medical treatment if given the opportunity."

"Yeah, well you don't even use anasthetics!"

"Pain keeps you sharp, trooper."

"Unless you go into shock,  _utreekov_!" Boil countered.

"Come on, when have any of my patients gone into shock?"

Wooley feebly raised his hand.

"Wooley, you had a panic attack, there's a difference."

Wooley feebly lowered his hand.

"See? I know what I'm doing," Scalpel said, grinning under his helmet.

"Kriffin' madman..." Boil muttered.

"Don't insult the man who's gonna be patching you up someday, Boil. He might accidentally cut a vein," cautioned Crys. 

"Entering the atmosphere! Brace yourselves!" Dropshot called back.

"Oh, boy..." Trapper groaned, clipping his deece to his hip and grabbing onto the railing with both hands. "The Force protects, the Force protects, the Force protects..."

The gunship jerked heavily to the right, sending Trapper's lower body crashing into the door with a grunt and a loud *clank*.

"You alright there Trapper?" Waxer asked.

"Yeah, I'm good... coulda went worse."

"And now you've jinxed it," Boil said as the slats of the LAAT doors opened, revealing a clear blue sky.

"Don't get too excited, Boil, we're still above the top layer of clouds. You'll get wet yet," Cody informed him. 

"Oh,  _how thrilling_." 

The Gunship angled slightly downward, the doors beginning to open as they broke cloud cover. There was very little wind, although the rain was heavy enough that it pattered against the Clone's armor and the hull of the LAAT rather loudly.

"Why did you open the doors, Davijaan!?" Boil yelled. 

"Just to ruin your day!" Odd-Ball jovially replied. "Jokes aside, it won't be long till we land!"

Obi Wan turned around to face the rest of the assembled clones, Cody doing so with him. "Alright, men. Cody went over the objectives with you?" he shouted over the rain.

"Sir, yes, sir!" The clones barked in reply.

 "Remember, this is an investigation, not an invasion! We're here on a mission of peace! So keep your weapons ready, but don't go threatening the locals! We're here to make friends, not enemies!"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"If we find hostile forces on the ground, engage with caution! We don't want to cause collateral damage and ruin any chance of diplomacy with the locals! Are you ready, Alpha Platoon?"

" _At Parjai, alor!"_ they replied. It was Mando'a. 'To Victory.' It was odd to Obi-Wan the first few times he heard it, but he supposed it was good for the clones to form a culture of their own. He certainly wouldn't be the one to quash it. 

"Alright men! Prepare for landing!"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

The trees stretched for miles in any direction, a small sliver of coastline quickly giving way to more trees as they quickened in their descent. 

"Awful pretty place," said 32.

"Yeah, looks... serene." Crys agreed.

"Wish we had landed on a sunny day," Boil pitched in.

A trio of black forms rose from the forest below, catching Obi-Wan's eye. He wasn't alone- Trapper's trained eyes had caught them too..

"Those are some rather big birds!" Trapper said, his voice rising in pitch to convey his stress. 

"And they're headed right for the LAAT!" 32 shouted.

"Wait, don't shoot!" Cody stated, pulling down Trapper's firing arm. "Don't agitate 'em!"

"Looks like they're already rather agitated!" Trapper replied, as one of them screeched loud enough to rattle a man's bones, and flew straight for the landing craft.

"Odd-Ball!" Obi-Wan shouted.

"I see him!"

Banking heavily to his left to avoid the beak and talons of this massive black avian, Odd-Ball fired his laser cannons, missing the fast-moving target.

"Just get us down!" Wooley screamed as one kicked the ball-turret off of one of the LAAT's wings. "Before these things rip us apart!"

Obi-Wan stepped forward, pushing past Wooley to reach out with the Force, pulling the bird out of flight and sending it down closer to the ground. The sudden burst of dark power he felt threw him for a loop, causing him to stumble back into Thrasher's back. 

"General!" Cody shouted, pulling his CO back. "Are you alright!?"

"There's something _deeply_ wrong here... Get us down! NOW!" he ordered.

"On it!" Odd-Ball shouted. "Shit, they're coming at the cockpit!"

A series of large black pinions came flying at the cockpit, one burying itself in the seat next to Odd-Ball, another smashing through the glass above his chest, stopping just short of him. Another hit behind him, and a sickening gurgle indicated that it had found its mark. Turning his head to his copilot, he saw Dropshot frantically clutching at the pinion that had embedded itself in his throat. After a futile struggle, his hands dropped to his sides.

"Dropshot's gone!" Odd-Ball shouted, his attention now fully back on the controls. "I don't see the landing zone, I'm going to have to set down in the forest!"

"Do what you have to do, and shut the doors!" Obi-Wan ordered as more of the black flechettes smashed into the side of the gunship. One flew between Trapper and Wooley's heads, narrowly avoiding decapitating Waxer across from them.

"What in the Sith Hells are these things!?" Waxer shouted as the gunship dipped down, the doors closing again in a likely feeble attempt to shield the occupants.

"They must be the Grimm," Cody replied. 

"I sensed something within them. The Dark Side infests these creatures. Perhaps they are the reason we lost contact with Ambassador Roola," Obi-Wan didn't take out his lightsaber. If he was knocked askew he could injure or kill one of his men.

"It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility!" Scalpel agreed, trying to calm a panicking 32. "Easy there, rookie!!"

"Hell of a way to die, this!" 44 exclaimed, stepping back as a pinion pierced the view slat of the LAAT door.

"I don't know about you but I'm not dying to overgrown carrion birds!" Trapper shouted, brandishing his DC-15s. 

"We're getting close to the ground, but there's no clearings to land in! This is going to hurt!" Odd-Ball shouted back.

"What's going to hurt!?" hollered Boil.

"This Gunship is most likely going to be smacking a few trees!"

"Oh,  _SITH-SPIT!_ " cried Boil, who grabbed onto the railing for dear life, as did the rest of the clones on board. The view slats closed just in time to stop a fresh volley of pinions.

"I better not be the only one to survive this time!" Trapper shouted, gritting his teeth and preparing for the worst.

"Hold on to your shebs, boys! I'm hitting the green!" Odd-Ball called, and within seconds, the entire gunship bucked and rattled in every direction, throwing clones and their Jedi all about. The sound of glass shattering indicated that the cockpit had been fully breached, and one of the durasteel doors of the gunship was bent out of place, the view slats opened to reveal that the entire right wing of the craft was  _gone_. 

Finally, with one last heavy thud, the gunship came to rest on the ground, the sounds of violent crashing replaced with groaning and expletives. Obi-Wan managed to struggle to his feet, a warm, sticky sensation on his brow indicating that he was bleeding. "Odd-Ball, are you with us? Odd-Ball?"

"I'm okay, sir... glad I strapped in..."

The Jedi turned to face the rest of his men. "Is everyone alright?"

Scalpel managed to get to his knees, checking the pulse of a motionless clone to his right. "Edge is unconscious, but alive, sir."

"I'm okay!" Crys replied.

"Looks like everyone can at least move, save for Edge," observed Cody, as he stood up, smacking his helmet a couple of times. "We need to get out of here. Odd-Ball, open the doors, but stay in the gunship!"

"Cody, I was given ARC training, I can handle a blaster just as well as you," the pilot replied, and the relatively undamaged left door opened. 

"Alright, let's go! Form a perimeter around the gunship! Those Grimm are going to be back!" Cody ordered as the men unloaded, blasters at the ready. Boil and Bonecrusher grabbed the heavy weapons crate, throwing it out the door. Wooley grabbed a Z-6, while Cody grabbed the EMP Launcher, and Boil grabbed a rocket launcher.

"Form up, form up!" Cody ordered, as Obi-Wan stepped out of the ship, igniting his lightsaber as the three 'Grimm' came into view. Odd-Ball ran up behind him, drawing his sidearm.

"Looks like they're coming in hot, General!" the pilot stated.

"Keep your cool, Odd-Ball. We can fight them off," the Jedi assured him.

"Light 'em up!" Cody shouted, and his men complied, bolts of blue blaster fire cutting through the rain towards the airborne enemy. One of the creatures was all but perforated by the fire, black miasma glowing orange from repeated blaster impacts as it went crashing to the ground.

"I got him!" 32 shouted.

"Don't get excited, rookie, there's still two more!" Boil ordered, taking a knee and aiming his launcher. Once he had a lock, he fired, a rocket smashing into one of the surviving birds, sending its black ichor spewing across the sky. The final creature swooped low, intending to scoop up an unlucky target, only for Obi-Wan to cut off its legs. The mighty beast fell to the ground as Cody and Odd-Ball approached it, pouring hot laser into its head.

"Enough! It's dead... or at least I think it is," Obi-Wan stated.

"You think?"

"The creature... it has no signature. It is full of the Dark Side, but it has nothing else In it. It is as if it is made of pure evil..."

"Whatever they are, they killed Dropshot, injured Edge and Knockdown, and took down our ship. I don't know about you, but I don't want to wait until more of them show up," Trapper stated. "We need to move, NOW."

"Grab whatever equipment you can, anything we can carry, we're taking. Let's go!" Cody ordered. 

"What about Dropshot, sir?" Odd-Ball asked. "It... it doesn't feel right to just leave him here."

"Grab the body, Odd-Ball. We'll bury him or send him back to the ship when we can."

"Thank you, sir."

Cody looked to Obi-Wan, his expression unreadable behind his visor. "Which way, then?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, searching for some sort of light in the distance. This world was remarkably present in the Force, to the point where he felt insignificant in comparison. He could barely find himself in it. "I'm afraid the Force is... murky here. I think the safest direction is this way," he said, pointing to his right.

"The West," Scalpel said, looking at his HUD compass. 

"Then we head West," Cody agreed. "You know what to do, boys, pack it up!"

The Jedi opened his eyes, letting out a long, ragged exhale as his commander walked up alongside him. 

"Are you badly injured, General?" the clone asked.

"No, I'll be fine... it was much worse at Geonosis." 

"You can say that again. I can see Trapper's wound up from the crash."

"Considering he just survived one less than two months ago, that's completely understandable," the General replied. "Now, let's get going. I'm not much for being gnawed on by birds either."

"You can say that again..." Cody agreed.

 


	2. Over the Hill and Through The Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a man down and no method of transport, Kenobi and Alpha Platoon need help fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While You Read
> 
> Cody's Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESSKp0ZIAZQ
> 
> The Stand in the Clearing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ZhkM2tiVE

The crunch of leaves and branches under plastoid boots, a peal of thunder, and the heavy breathing of a few troopers was the only sound audible in the Emerald Forest. They'd been hoofing it for almost an hour now. Cody didn't want to stick around- it was obvious that the creatures in this forest were hostile to his boys, and his General, and so when he took off at a sprint, his men followed diligently. And Obi-Wan had to admit, even with the Force helping him to carry his body forward, he was having a bit of trouble keeping Cody's pace.

"Do we have any idea where we're going?" Boil asked.

"West," Crys replied.

"What's west, then?" Boil's voice was wrought with frustration.

"Hopefully somewhere safe, where we can call for backup. General Kenobi, when were our reinforcements supposed to arrive?"

"Aayla and the 327th are supposed to arrive within a week. I don't know if we'll be getting any other reinforcements," he informed them.

"Good ol' Bly..." Boil muttered sarcastically.

The run through the woodlands continued, a slight incline indicating they were coming up on a hill.

"Did we get our comms trooper on board?" Cody asked.

"I'm here!" the comms trooper replied. "All my gear is intact!"

"Attaboy, Vox. Once we get on top of this hill, we'll contact the _Negotiator_ and let them know what happened. Then we'll contact General Secura."

"Sir!" 

"Now hurry up and secure this hill!" Cody ordered.

Obi-Wan had to admit, it was nice having Cody as his commander. Cody seemed to always understand what he needed before he even asked. For a being with almost no Force-sensitivity, Cody was remarkably in tune with him. It made it much easier to lead when you had a commander willing to take the reins when needed. As they came to the crest of the hill, Obi-Wan noted that the trees were thinning. A clearing atop a hill. It seemed fortuitous...

Too much so.

"Cody, once we get up there, have Scalpel tend to Knockdown and Edge. We'll set up a defensive perimeter, and get a rough estimate of where we are."

"Sir!"

The men reached the top of the hill, the rain pouring atop their heads as they stopped to catch their breath. 

"I haven't ran that far since Geonosis," Waxer breathed, hunched over with his bucket on the ground, trying to keep his stomach in order.

"And you weren't carrying a CHAINGUN," Wooley groaned, falling to one knee as he gasped for air.

Trapper seemed to be the only one who didn't need to catch his breath, his carbine already at the ready as he searched for any sign of hostile activity. Vox was trying to reach the fleet, as ordered, and Scalpel gently set down Edge as he looked over his injuries. "Who got Knockdown?"

44 came up, setting the other casualty down besides Scalpel.

"Thanks, Stretcher," Scalpel acknowledged him.

"Well look at that, rookie," Waxer said. "You got your nickname."

44- or rather, Stretcher, gave him a quick nod. "Scalpel, do you need help with the wounded?"

"If you can, it'd be appreciated, kid."

"Can do!"

With that, the two got to work, leaving the rest of Alpha Platoon to wait for word.

Vox looked over at General Kenobi and Cody. "The Fleet wants to know if we need pickup."

"No, we still have to complete the mission. Tell them to stay on standby, but we aren't leaving this planet yet."

"Sir!" With that, Vox relayed the message. "Trying to get a hold of General Secura now."

That's when Obi-Wan felt it. A sudden wave in the force, like a tide of darkness was about to come crashing down on their heads. He winced, the physical sensation actually causing him  _pain_.

"General?" Cody asked, noticing his discomfort.

"We're about to have company..." he grunted.

"Oh, boy..." Crys muttered, readying his rifle. 

"Load up, men. They're coming," Obi-Wan ordered, the ache of the impression left by the Dark still tinging his voice.

"Heavy weapons to the front!" Cody ordered. Wooley immediately stepped between him and the General, spinning up his Z6 in anticipation. Boil could be heard reloading his rocket launcher, while Odd-Ball ran up to Cody. The Commander nodded and passed off the EMP Launcher, taking his rifle off his back.

It was quiet in the woods again, only the patter of the rain against their armor making a sound. The clones were getting uneasy. Trapper put his hand on 32's back, attempting to keep his breathing quiet. 77 eyed his Z6, anxiously revving it as he jerked his head left and right, searching for any sign of movement. Waxer and Boil nodded at each other, while Stretcher held up his carbine, putting his body between Knockdown and the circle of men surrounding him.

A low growl echoed through the trees.

"That doesn't sound friendly.." 77 whispered.

"Least it isn't dark..." 32 muttered. 

"Oh, would you shut up?" his fellow rookie whined. "Visibility's still shit."

"I see it!" Wooley shouted, opening up with his Z6 directly in front of him, a yowl of anguish following the action. And with that, all hell broke loose. An entire horde of large, canine creatures came at the troops from all sides. Vox jumped to his feet, drawing his dual pistols and spraying down one that got far too close for his liking, while Trapper and 32 stepped back in the formation to protect the medics. The rest of the formation poured laser fire as fast as their trigger fingers or rotary barrels allowed. The creatures came at breakneck pace, one of them immediately clamping down on a rookie's head with a sickening crunch. Wooley swung his Z-6 at the creature like a bludgeon, knocking it to the ground, where Crys finished it off, before returning his own attention to the enemy in front of him.

"Don't break formation!" the lieutenant ordered. "Tighten the circle!"

A rookie who attempted to retreat was picked up by one of the creatures and slammed to the ground twice, before having the claws raked down his back twice. He didn't stop screaming until the thing pounced on his head with an audible snap. Scalpel winced.

"Stand to, dammit, stand to!" Cody shouted, drawing a pistol with his free hand and sweeping his rifle to cover a wider area.

"We're not gonna hold!"

"Where's Secura!?" Boil asked. 

"KRIFFING UMBARA!" Vox shouted, voice filled with despair as he backed further into the circle. He sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

"They were supposed to have broken the siege already!" Obi-Wan shouted, throwing his saber in a wide arc, decapitating a trio of the beasts and allowing the men closest to him a moment's reprieve.

"Bly says they're dug in at the capital! They can't break through!"

"Can you reach the fleet again!?"

"Not the best time!" Vox insisted, narrowly ducking a swing from a rather zealous creature, which was dispatched by Wooley.

"We're all gonna die!" 32 cried, arms shaking as he fired his wildly into the black mass.

"Don't give up, trooper, come on!" Trapper ordered, backing up to the soldier in an attempt to give him some sort of support. "We've been through a lot worse than this!"

 Stretcher stood up, his rifle clicking. "Defective clip? COME ON!" In a flurry of rage, he threw his weapon at the nearest beast, the weapon smacking it directly in the head, and grabbed Knockdown's rifle before resuming firing.

"That's the spirit, Stretcher!" Scalpel shouted as he stood up, moving within the circle and firing over his brother's heads.

"Hold the line!" Crys ordered, grabbing a wounded soldier and dragging him into the circle.

"Alpha Platoon, STAND TO!" Cody shouted over the din of combat, kicking one of thre creatures back as Obi-Wan struck down another pair with his blade.

"We need reinforcements!" Stretcher shouted, standing up from his place beside Knockdown to shoot down a rather large variant of the creatures facing them.

"We're done for!" a clone shouted.

"Don't break, dammit, HOLD THE LINE!" Crys ordered, grabbing a detonator and shoving it into the jaws of an approaching beast.

That was when Obi-Wan felt it. In the midst of the dark web of despair amongst his men, some light shone through. At first, he thought it was one of the troopers, in a moment of clarity, choosing to go into a 212th-worthy bout of heroics.

But no.

This was someone else. And they were closing fast.

"Help is on the way!" Obi-Wan shouted.

"From who!?" Vox asked, throwing a fallen creature off of him and resuming firing.

"I don't know!"

"Oh, you've got to be kriffing kidding me!"

"The General has never let us down, men. He wouldn't start now," Cody states calmly, or rather as calmly as can be expected at a time like this.

Boil was knocked back by a backhand from one of the creatures, crashing into Wooley and knocking him to the ground. At this point, the creatures were all but pressed up against the troopers of Alpha Company, eager for the kill. A crow flew overhead, like an omen of the fate about to befall them. The standing troopers closed in around Scalpel, Stretcher, and the fallen, desperate to protect them with their bodies if need be.

And then, the crow became a man, falling gracefully from the sky, two loud blasts following the action, and two of the creatures all but exploded. Swiping downward with a large, metal sword, he bifurcated another, before his weapon began to twist, clank, and shift, taking the form of a scythe.

"Who the hell!?" Waxer asked.

"Don't shoot! He's not after us!" Crys ordered. "Protect the wounded and check your targets!"

The clones directed their aim away from their savior as he carved a swath through the enemy. When he passed over in front of Obi-Wan, the Jedi took the opportunity to cover his back, slicing down the nearest target to him. He saw the man nod out of the corner of his eye. 

"We've got transport Bullheads on the way," the man rasped, just loud enough for the men to hear. "We have to hold out till then!"

"Whatever a Bullhead is, can do!" Trapper shouted back.

"For the Republic!" Wooley roared as he stood to his feet, swinging his Z-6 like the world's deadliest garden hose, Scalpel stepping up behind him and firing from the hip, finishing off targets that his comrade had already downed. Stretcher helped up Boil, who grabbed a rifle from beside Knockdown and returned to the line, while Thresher stood sentinel over the wounded, firing at anything that got too close. 77 spread his stance, roaring almost inhumanly as he stepped up beside Trapper, blasting away with his Z-6. Trapper grabbed a fallen trooper's DC-15 and dual wielded the carbines, taking out one target at a time, while 32 pulled himself together and threw a detonator into the crowd. The crow-man picked it up and used his scythe to knock it further into the crowd, with the grenade detonating at the creature's head level, killing a good number instantly. 

"Bullheads' are gonna be here in a moment! Don't break yet, fellas, you've made it this far!" the man encouraged them.

Obi-Wan gritted his teeth and stepped back into the formation, windmilling his saber to deflect the onslaught of claws coming at him. The clones shouted their credo in unison, suddenly pushing outward as a single, miniature human wave, pouring blaster fire in a blue ring in front of them.

"Shield the wounded!" Crys ordered. 

"Don't let 'em through!" Waxer shouted.

"Cover each other!" Boil hollered.

"Overlap your firing angles!" ordered Cody.

 "Come on, come on!" Vox shouted, jumping onto the back of a creature that had tackled Wildside, pouring blaster fire into its skull. The circle had halted their advance, and were now being assaulted with ferocity like the men had never encountered before. Clones fell left and right, yet the line still held, if barely.

"We need to get out of here!" Scalpel shouted over the cacophony.

"Just a little longer, Scalpel!" Stretcher said, ducking a swing from a creature who'd managed to break the line, and pouring fire into its side, while Scalpel drew his sidearm and blasted it in the head.

"They're here!" said the crow man. "I'm gonna cut a path for you to move through! Load your wounded first!"

With that, he stopped circling about and instead moved outward, cutting a wide swath in the horde big enough for the platoon to egress through. The base of the hill was being cleared out by gunfire from two hovering aircraft, with a third coming down to the ground, a man inside motioning for the clones to board.

"Come on, men! Evac's here!" Cody ordered, and the men followed. Herding Stretcher, Scalpel, Wildside and Odd-Ball into the center as they dragged the wounded soldiers out, they moved as one, each soldier covering their angle as best as they could. Obi-Wan brought up the rear, cutting down any enemies coming for the exposed flanks of his men, while the crow man did the same.

The man in the transport appeared to be a medic, too, judging by the red cross strap on his shoulder pad, and he helped load the wounded on board. Odd-Ball, Stretcher, Wooley, Wildside, Scalpel, 77, 32, Crys, and a few others were able to pack in to the aircraft.

"You have guns?" The pilot called back to them.

"More than enough!" Wooley replied.

"Then cover your buddies while I get airborne, we still have to load up the other two!"

"We'll get it done!"

As blue fire poured out of the side door of the Bullhead, the second one touched down, loading Waxer, Boil, Trapper, and most of the other troopers, leaving only Obi-Wan, Cody, and two troopers on the ground, along with Vox.

"Alright men, we're almost there!" Obi-Wan assured them. "Everybody get on board!"

"We're going in last, General," Cody stated, as if it needed to be said. The duo stepped as close to the craft as they could without blocking the way in, the other troops loading on and firing over their heads. Soon, only Cody, Obi-Wan, and the crow man were left on the ground.

"Get on!" Cody ordered.

"I can get out on my own, you get airborne!" the man replied.

"We're not leaving you here!" the Jedi insisted. "Come on!" 

"I said I'll manage! GO!" 

Shaking his head, Cody sat on the edge of the transport bay, firing his rifle to cover the man, while Obi-Wan hopped in. The transport lifted off, the horde of beasts growing smaller under them, the crow man's circle of death growing ever tighter as more of them closed in.

"Brave son of a gundark..." Boil muttered.

"Look, look!" Wooley shouted, pointing down. Sure enough, the crow man had leapt into the air, retaking the form of a bird.

"... now I've seen everything," Trapper deadpanned, making a 'shoot me' gesture.

The man flew over to Obi-Wan's transport, returning to human form and grabbing onto one of the roof rails.

"Alright, we're all on board, go!" he ordered.

The aircraft's turbines turned about until they were facing directly forward, and the three transports darted off to the west, headed for home.

* * *

After about five minutes of catching their breath, Cody and Obi-Wan could both agree that they had a lot of questions as to what had just happened down there. It just so happened that Cody had the presence of mind to speak first.

"What  _the hell_ were those things?" he asked the crow man, "and what the hell are you?"

"Those were Beowulves," the man explained, "a terrestrial Grimm species. And I'm just a huntsman who saw you guys were in a bad spot."

"Forgive me, friend, but, I can't help but think this wasn't a coincidence. You were just passing through?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Not quite the truth. We have eyes all over this forest. Your transport's crash triggered an alarm, so I went to investigate. I'd never seen a transport like that, but, I wasn't just gonna let the Grimm get you."

"Appreciate the help, sir, but..." Cody continued, "... we were attacked by large birds that downed our gunship and killed one of our pilots. Are those Grimm, as well?"

"There's many types, soldier boy. From what you told me, sounds like you had a run-in with Nevermores. You're lucky they didn't kill more of your men."

"With all due respect, tell that to the boys that are still down there, getting chewed up by those things," Cody replied.

"As I said, you're lucky. If another huntsman would have answered your call, you'd be dead long before they arrived. They could probably smell your fear and confusion a mile away. Literally."

"And what do you mean by that?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The Grimm feed off of negative emotion- fear, anger, grief, pain. Judging by that crash, you were probably feeling all of the above."

Vox shook his head. "That would explain why there was so many of them..."

Obi-Wan wiped a bit of sweat and blood off his brow, before looking back up at the crow man. "Regardless, we are very thankful for your aid..."

"Branwen. Qrow Branwen. It's nothin' big."

"It was sure big to us! You tore right through those things!" A trooper spoke up.

"Like a kriffing angel of death!" the other added.

Qrow raised an eyebrow, before looking over at Obi-Wan. "So... these guys are military?"

"Yes," the Jedi answered. "We're with the 212th Attack Battalion, 7th Sky Corps, Third System Army of the Grand Army of the Republic."

"So that's what that big cog on your ship symbolizes?" Qrow asked.

"Yes... what of it?"

"Another ship with a similar symbol was attacked by Nevermores around two months ago. Everyone on board was killed."

"That would explain what happened to Ambassador Roola, wouldn't it?" Obi-Wan nodded at Qrow. "We thank you for that information. We were sent to investigate the disappearance of two Republic ambassadors who were to establish relations between your planet and our Republic. However, both ambassadors haven't been heard from in at least two months. It appears you found one of them."

"It probably was," Qrow agreed. "A couple of guys with armor like his were on board," he said, pointing at Cody, "but with red markings."

"Shock Troopers," Cody stated. "They're assigned to guard politicians and important government facilities."

"You said there was another ambassador," Qrow began, looking back over at Obi-Wan. "Did you have any contact with the other ambassador?"

"Yes, two months ago. He's been here for at least a standard year," Obi-Wan informed him. "He was last in Vale's Beacon Academy."

"We're headed there now. My boss works there." Qrow looked over at Vox. "You, your armor looks different. What's with you?"

"I'm a comms trooper, sir. This is all communications equipment. My helmet has a whole long distance comms suite built in."

"Did you contact your guys?"

"Tried to. Wasn't able to in all the confusion."

"Fair enough." He then turned back again to Obi-Wan and Cody. "We should be arriving at Beacon Academy soon. Just sit tight. There's warm grub in the cafeteria, if your men are hungry."

"We have rations, sir," Cody informed him.

"Butwe'dratheractualfoodsopleasecommanderpleasepleaseplease" came the begging from the other three troopers on board. Vox even had his hands clasped like a petulant youngling, and Cody swore he could feel those akk pup eyes through the trooper's T-Visor.

"... Qrow. You're going to regret mentioning food to them. Also, wouldn't the students be unnerved?"

"Nah, it's after lunch period, your men will be almost totally by themselves, save for a few students coming by for snacks or a late lunch."

"If you say so, sir," Cody replied.

"My men and I are very appreciative of your generosity, mister Qrow," Obi-Wan spoke up, bowing his head slightly. "Do you also have medical staff at the Academy?"

"Our healers are some of the best in Vale. They'll take a look at your wounded," Qrow informed him.

 "Excellent. If there's anything we can do to repay you, we'd be glad to help."

"Just keep your ears to the ground. If we need soldiers, we know who to call."

"Excellent. I need to see how many of my men are still alive, if you don't mind."

"Do what you need to do."

Obi-Wan turned to Vox and the two soldiers. "Sound off?"

"You know me, General," Vox said.

"Photon's all good!" said one trooper.

"I'm okay! CT-8102 'Scotch'," said the other.

Turning on his arm commlink, he held it up to his face and looked out of the door of the transport. "Crys, who all is on board your transport?"

"Me, Stretcher, Odd-Ball, Wooley, Scalpel, Sketch, Slicer, Edge, Knockdown, 77, Shakes, Threepwood, Wildside, and Ace."

Obi-Wan looked at the transport behind them. "Transport 3?"

"Waxer here- Boil, Trapper, Moxie, Hopper, Swing, and Ego, all on board."

"How many men did we arrive with, Cody?"

"37, counting you and me," the commander answered.

"We lost 14, counting Dropshot," Obi-Wan stated.

"...Mayhem didn't make it?" Photon asked.

"Saw him go down, Photon. Sorry, brother," Vox replied.

Photon lowered his head, sighing. 

Meanwhile, on Waxer and Boil's transport, one ARF trooper, 'Moxie', took off his helmet, revealing a bleached frohawk and his name tattooed under his eye.

"That was kriffin' horrific," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "I could go the rest of the war without going through that again."

"You and me both, Moxie," 77 said. 

The aircraft was silent for a few minutes. The clones on board this ship hadn't served in a combat situation since Geonosis. The sudden shift was enough to unbalance them all a fair bit, although they were able to keep it together. They weren't expecting to lose their brothers like this, on a simple search and rescue.

"How come you're all calling me 'Shakes'?" 32 asked,breaking the silence, arms folded petulantly.

"Cause you were shakin' like a leaf the whole time, kid," Trapper calmly replied. "You were scared out of your boots, huh?"

"What matters is, you made it. You're not a shiny anymore, you're one of us. And you'll have plenty of opportunities to pay those things back," Waxer interrupted, smiling at his brother. Leave it to him to be the positive one.

"Hope so..." he replied, with anger replacing fear as the only emotion that Waxer had seen the rookie show today.

"What's my nickname?" 77 asked.

"Haven't done anything notable yet, kid. We'll figure something out," Trapper replied.

"Can't I just nickname myself?"

"You could, but where's the fun in that?" Boil asked. "Tell you what, you come up with a good enough nickname, you can use it."

"That's easy- I'm Beast."

An eerie silence fell over the Bullhead as everyone turned to look at 77.

And then Boil busted out laughing.

"Try again another day, rookie," Hopper consoled him.

"Hey, look at that!" Ego exclaimed, pointing out of the door. The clones looked out of the doors, finding themselves fast approaching some sort of complex. 

"That must be the Academy we read about in the briefing," Waxer postulated. Shakes flipped down his visor, leaning out to get a better look.

"Well, ain't that something," Trapper muttered, examining the architecture closely. "Looks like one of those Cathedrals on Rhen Var..."

"Just keep your blasters down and your heads high, boys. Remember, 'hearts and minds'," replied Boil. "Waxer, you and your bleeding heart should make it trivial."

"Ehehehehe..."

* * *

  _Meanwhile, on Umbara_

 

It was a thrice-blasted massacre.

Bly and Aayla couldn't even see through the cloud of dust kicked up by the blaster fire hitting the ground around them. The Marines still hadn't arrived with reinforcements, and the 327th certainly wasn't growing clones on trees.

'Not like I'd want any of my brothers around these trees,' thought Bly. Umbara is as close to the Sith Hells as he believes he can get in the Galaxy, and he knows for a fact his brothers mostly agree. Galle and Barr are on either side of him and the General, forming a crude battle line with the survivors of Hawkbat Battalion and the rest of the 327th. Tyto is trying to rally the left flank, while Ince attempts to keep the right from falling.

"We're not going to last much longer, General," Galle states. Not shouts, not cries. States. Clinical to the bitter end.

"We have to hold out until Padawan Keto and the Marines make landfall."

"How many did they send?" Barr asked, picking up a DC-15s from a fallen trooper and augmenting his firepower.

"Three gunships made it into our airspace," Aayla replied, swinging her saber to deflect a blast of Umbaran turbolaser fire.

"How many did they send, General?" Barr repeated.

"Seven," she replied.

"Blast..." Barr muttered, before throwing one of his Deeces at an enemy infantryman and grabbing a detonator.

"Where the hell is Trio?" Galle asks.

"He's on the left!" Bly replies. "Mercy is on the right!"

"Do we have air support?"

"Anomaly should be coming through... now!"

A trio of ARC-170s sped overhead, laser cannons blazing as they strafed the enemy positions, then retreated before the Umbaran Starfighters could retaliate.

"General! Urgent message from the 212th!" Comms LT Ice shouted, tuning his comms pack to decipher the transmission.

"Aren't they out on an assignment?" Bly asked.

"Their gunship was attacked and they require reinforcement!"

"We can't even crack the Capitol with what we have!" Barr replied, growling in frustration.

"He doesn't know our plight, Captain Barr, how could he?" Aayla rebukes him, before turning to Ice. "Ice, tell him we may not make the deadline- the capitol is proving tough to crack. Tell him we'll try and get someone out there as soon as we can!"

"Yes, sir!"

A trooper wearing red armor and carrying specialist gear, accompanied by two blue-clad troopers, approached from behind them, joining the firing line. "General Secura," the red trooper began, "my men are ready to begin the op to breach the capitol's outer walls on your order. We'll destroy the missile batteries and fight our way through, destroying the hangars and the command tower. Once that's done, it'll be that much easier to break the Umbaran lines."

"Very well. May the Force be with you, Alpha-77."

"Back at you, General." With that, the trooper turned to the troopers flanking him. "Barrage, Gambit, prep the squad- we move out immediately. Let's go!" 

As the troopers bolted off, going about their business, Barre seemed awestruck.

"Sir, that's  _Fordo_! The ARC Trooper from Muunilist!"

"If anyone can break the siege, the ARCs can." Bly couldn't suppress his smirk. He'd heard the Muunilist 10 were being dispatched to the sector as 327th assets- was good to have friends outside of the army, wasn't it. "Now, we've got a job to do ourselves, boys! Let's hold the line!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: The Star Wars elements here are part of an AU based on my playthrough of Star Wars the Clone Wars 4.0 on PC, which includes Aayla Secura, Serra Keto, the Galactic Marines and the 327th taking Umbara much earlier, due to it seceding at the beginning of the war.
> 
> And yes, that was the Muunilist 10. We'll be getting a little interquel chapter on those boys soon.


	3. Our Shining Beacon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alpha Platoon arrives at Beacon Academy, and gets to know the premises and staff.

The landing went about as smoothly as could be expected. There were already medical staff, along with a single, rather straight-laced woman in formal clothing, at the landing pad. Scalpel and Stretcher immediately went to unloading the wounded, while the walking wounded made their way over to the staff and informed them as to the extent of their injuries. Scalpel and his new assistant followed the staff to the nurse's office (friendly as the staff were, Scalpel wouldn't trust anyone to take care of his brothers better than he could. Force of habit.) The rest of the troops unloaded post-haste, forming up in a loose drill formation, with Crys and Odd-Ball front and center. Cody had stepped off with Obi-Wan, the two of them following Qrow as he motioned for the woman. 

"This is Glynda Goodwitch, deputy headmaster of Beacon Academy. She's gonna bring you to talk to Ozpin- he's looking forward to making your acquaintance, Kenobi," Qrow explained. "If you need answers, he knows more about the going-ons than pretty much anyone you're gonna find around here. Other than that, your men should be welcome to make themselves at home- cafeteria's still open, and we have some spare dorms they can use. Professor Port will direct them where they need to go."

"Thank you very much, Mister Qrow. You'll find my men very appreciative of the assistance." Obi-Wan nodded, and with that, Qrow turned and walked away, pulling his flask off of his hip and taking a long swig. The Jedi had noted that the man smelled rather strongly of alcohol when they spoke on the Bullhead, and wondered idly if the other 'Huntsmen' and 'Huntresses' were like him. He was so lax, so seemingly irresponsible, and yet so efficient- that weapon of his was like lightning in his hand, switching from sword, to polearm, to slugthrower with barely a shift from Qrow. If this was to be his introduction to the forces defending the planet, he was walking into this training school quite impressed, if a bit apprehensive.

Turning with a smile to Goodwitch, he bowed his head cordially. "Lead the way, madame. I hope you don't mind if Cody accompanies me."

"Ozpin asked only for you, Mister Kenobi..." Glynda began, only to stop short. Her eyes were locked on Cody's visor. She couldn't see exactly how or where the man was looking, but he tilted his head slightly, a silent 'oh?' seeming to come with the motion.

"...but I'm sure we can make accommodations for your second, as well. This way, please." With that, the woman turned on her heel, starting off towards the main building. Obi-Wan gave Cody a look. 

"You always do that, Cody."

"With all due respect, General, I want to know what's going on just as much as you do. And I'd like to think I have the right, as well." 

"You do, Commander. Now, let's be off. We shouldn't keep the Headmaster waiting."

The Jedi and the clone stepped off, leaving their men to their business. Cody turned on his commlink, lifting it up to his helmet. "Crys, have the men head to the mess and take five. In two hours I want this entire Academy reconnoitered. All points of entry and exit marked, all major facilities and amenities located, and important individuals identified. Once that's finished, have the men rest up. We'll have combat drills in 5 standard hours."

 _"Sir,"_ came the reply, and the telltale *beep* of cut communication. The doors opened to greet the trio as they entered the Academy, long, slate grey halls and tiled floors. Stained glass flanked them on either wall, the halls ahead marked with various doors and signs. After a few minutes, they turned into an atrium and approached a large elevator. 

"This elevator leads to the Headmaster's office. I'm obligated to inform you that he's a bit eccentric," Glynda stated. "Nevertheless, know that he, and the rest of the staff here, will make sure that you and your soldiers are given the utmost respect and care until you achieve your... objectives, here."

"We both are in your eternal debt, Madame Goodwitch. I assure you that the Republic will repay you for your kindness at the first opportunity."

"The Republic? That is what you call yourselves?"

"I am a Jedi Master, and a General in the Grand Army of the Republic. The Senate, our governing body, recently charted this system and wanted us to attempt to make contact with you. Unfortunately, both of our ambassadors have disappeared, which is why myself and the 7th Sky Corps were sent to investigate. I assure you, we have no intent of establishing a permanent military presence here, without your blessing. As soon as our investigation is complete, we will be taking our leave."

Glynda didn't reply, instead seeming a bit concerned. Obi-Wan sensed her discomfort, but there was little he could do other than what he already had to assuage it. All he could do now was ensure that his men were as little of a burden as possible on the school's resources, and didn't cause any trouble for the Headmaster. It seemed simple- the 212th were always so well disciplined, and Cody always dealt with any sort of disruption quickly and efficiently. Surely, as long as they stayed out of the instructors and students' way, they'd be alright, and they'd be out of the system within a couple of months, at best.

"Also, General Kenobi," Glynda spoke up, turning back towards him, "The Headmaster and I saw the footage of your troops crash landing, and your battle against the Grimm. While I commend your men on their courage and discipline, I'm afraid your tactics for fighting them will not suffice. If you would like, I'm sure the professors and students would not mind if your men sat in on our combat and Grimm Studies courses in order to better understand them, in the event that your investigation leads you into conflict with more Grimm."

"My men would much appreciate the instruction, ma'am," replied Cody. 

"It certainly would help us in the future. I, for one, am certainly not averse to the idea," Obi-Wan agreed.

"Very well. Your men will be... oddly dressed. Do they have any casual clothing?"

"We left all of the off-duty gear on the _Negotiator_ ," Cody informed his fellow passengers.

"That would be a 'no', ma'am," Obi-Wan followed.

"Hm..." Glynda thought for a moment, before continuing. "Your men all seem to be of similar body type, at least from the footage. Would it be safe to say they wear the same sized clothing?"

"Yes, ma'am. We're all clones. Exact same body type, for the most part," Cody replied.

"Give Professor Peach your measurements once we are done speaking to the Headmaster. I'm sure we'll be able to arrange a fresh change of clothes for your men within a couple of days. General, I assume you would also like to wear something besides that tunic?"

Obi-Wan rarely took off his tunic, come to think of it. "I suppose a change of nightwear wouldn't be inappropriate. Of course, I will pay out of my own pocket. Does this planet accept Republic credits?"

Glynda raised an eyebrow. 

"I will take that as a no. What is the standard fare here?"

"We pay for our goods and services in 'Lien'. If you need, I will provide you with the funds for a few changes of clothing."

"As much as I do not like to take with no payment, I will gladly accept your generosity."

"We should be at the office floor."

A few short moments, the doors of the elevator opened to reveal a large, open office, with dark umber furnishing, of a wood that Obi-Wan could not identify. A large, clock shaped window loomed over the room, giving them a clear view of the grey, swollen rainclouds outside. A desk sat in front of this window, with a pair of towels resting atop it. A grey-haired, bespectacled man sat behind the desk, leaning forward and resting his chin on his fist.

"Good evening, gentlemen. Do you mind taking a seat?" The man asked, motioning to the two chairs already set at the table, right behind the towels. A cup of tea sat next to each towel, steam wafting up from the cups. Obi-Wan had to admit he was a bit parched, although Cody seemed to tense up a bit. The Jedi went on and took his seat, running the towel over his hair and face a few times, while Cody stood idly to one side.

"You don't want to sit?" the man asked him.

"I'd rather stand, sir." Cody stated.

"Would you at least take something to drink?"

"Not thirsty, sir."

The man examined Cody for what must have been thirty seconds, but for the clone, it felt like an eternity. It was as if the man could see right through his armor. "What is your name, friend?"

"CC-2224. Cody."

The man smiled. "You seem nervous, Cody."

"Just stressed. Adrenaline's wearing off."

"I see. Your men fought admirably against the Grimm. I can only imagine how difficult it was for all of you. My condolences for those you lost."

Cody didn't reply. Obi-Wan could tell he felt rather uncomfortable, and indeed, Obi-Wan was getting strange feelings about this man, himself. He seemed to radiate Light. Not light, Light. The Force flowed strong through him, yet avoided him at the same time. Any attempts to probe his mind or ascertain...  _anything_ were rebuffed. It set Obi-Wan on edge. "You must be Headmaster Ozpin," he interrupted. "I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, Master of the Jedi Order. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"The pleasure is all mine, Master Kenobi. Although I wish it was under less somber circumstances. Are you in good health? Do you require any medical assistance?"

"No, thankfully. All of our wounded are in your medical staff's hands."

"And those are gifted hands, Obi-Wan. I assure you your men will be back in good health quickly." 

Obi-Wan carefully sipped his tea. No poison stung his lips. It was sweet, almost sickeningly so.

"Too much sugar?" Ozpin asked. Evidently Obi-Wan had failed to hide his displeasure.

"It's that obvious?" Obi-Wan replied, awkwardly smiling.

"I apologize. I rarely have visitors of your kind. The last craft bearing that cog on the side of your landing craft... didn't land in one piece. Quite a few of the men on board were wearing armor similar to Cody's. No one survived."

"That was Ambassador Shiir Roola, of Commenor. He was sent to make contact with you after the disappearance of our last Ambassador, Hosna Tochin. Tochin apparently made contact with you before his disappearance."

"Hosna Tochin... Strange name, stranger man," Ozpin replied, sipping from a green thermos. "He visited us and insisted on a tour of the Academy. He provided clearance from the Council, so I had Glynda guide him around the premises. He left the school, and we never heard from him again."

"That is most troubling. Our own government hasn't received word from him in two standard months. That is why we sent Ambassador Roola. Unfortunately, he was killed by these 'Nevermores' that attacked our gunship."

"Yes. Perhaps even the same ones who attacked you."

"Do you have any idea where he was headed?"

"No. All he told me when I asked about his plans was that he was going to visit a local nightclub called Junior's. There would be a good place to start. Nevertheless, you are here now, and we consider you our guests. If there are any further questions, please ask. If not, I can show you around the grounds."

"I would like to discuss this matter again, once we have done a bit of questioning with the local authorities. For now, I would like to go and dine with my men. Once we are done, I would be glad to meet you for a tour of this Academy."

"Very well. Please, go on. I'm sure your men are already being hosted. Have them assemble at the auditorium as soon as possible, I'd like to inform the students of the new plans in place with your arrival." Ozpin stood up, as did Obi-Wan, Cody's eyes following the latter. The Headmaster extended a hand, the other moving to a cane standing against his chair. "Until our next meeting, Master Kenobi. Commander Cody."

"Until then, Headmaster." With a slight bow, and a last sip of tea, Obi-Wan turned to the elevator, where Glynda was already standing, observing their interactions. Cody followed behind him his body still tensed and ready for anything. Obi-Wan waved his hand, and Cody relaxed, but only slightly. With that, the two men stepped into the elevator.

"Cody, will you let the men know about the new plans?"

"Yes, General."

 

* * *

Alpha Platoon sat quietly around one of the many tables in the cafeteria, helmets off. There was very little being said, a somber mood having fallen over the clones once the combat rush faded and they took stock of their situation.

"Who did we lose?" Boil asked.

"Bull, Mayhem, Laser, Thrasher, Warhammer, Jouster, Hawg, Omni, Zilch, Adze, Phi, 22, Dunn and Dropshot," Odd-Ball answered.

Swing idly played with his fork, the meal of mashed 'potatoes', steak of unknown origin, and some sort of leafy green didn't exactly appeal to him at the moment. "Anyone got any paint?"

"Left it all on the ship." answered Ego.

"Shame, Stretcher earned his paint." Boil looked over at Stretcher as he said so, a few clones nodding their heads in agreement.

The rookie in question looked up, a bit of gravy trailing from his lip. His tray was already nearly empty.

"Well,  _kriff_ , kid, did you eat anything at breakfast?" Waxer asked, chuckling.

"...no sir. Wasn't hungry."

"44- I mean, Stretcher, always got nervous before big things happened back in training," 77 explained. "Would never eat before examinations or test dates."

"The one time we fed him he screwed up," Shakes joked. "Me, 77, 22, Scotch, and 44 were all in the same training squad."

"22 always had the worst luck..." Stretcher stated, his tone taking a mournful turn. "Did anyone see it?"

Trapper silently raised his hand, then returned to his food.

"I saw it too, rookie. It was over quickly, only took one hit," Wildside informed Stretcher, putting a hand on his shoulder. The younger trooper nodded.

"So... Stretcher, what are you thinking of? For your new look?" Waxer asked.

"Huh?"

"212th tradition, rook. Whenever you get a nickname, you paint your armor and start personalizing. Moxie can hook you up with a tattoo, if he can find ink. The paint's back on the ship, but I'm sure we could find a close enough color here, Wooley does the best art in the Corps," Boil explained. "So, what about it, Stretcher?"

"I'm thinking getting the red cross like Scalpel, but on the helmet, like your little triangle, Sarge," Stretcher answered. "Maybe painting my chestplate like Corporal Trapper. Might grow out some facial hair, and bleach my hair like Moxie does."

"Ey, kid's got TASTE!" Moxie bragged, pointing to his own hair. 

"You're trying for medic, rookie?" Crys asked.

"Well, I was trained to fill any role, but I'm sure I could learn how to be a Medic, given time."

"You'd be a good medic, Stretcher," Shakes said, smiling. "You were always the nicest guy in training. Wait- you guys were calling me Shakes. Does that mean I get to paint my armor, too?"

"Yeah, kid. Just don't inhale the fumes," Threepwood joked.

"Hey, every one of us was nervous on our first op. Threepwood was crying all the way down to Point Rain," countered Waxer.

"That was your first op?" Trapper asked. He hadn't known Threepwood very long, let alone any of the 212th- he was assigned to the 91st Recon under Ponds up until Geonosis. 

"Yeah- was scared out of my boots," Threepwood admitted.

"Hell of a way to introduce yourself, Threep. You did good, though." Waxer assured him, slapping him on the back. 

The sound of the doors opening caught the clones' ears, and they all turned, expecting Cody or the General. Instead, they were greeted with two adolescents who they could only assume were students, based on their dress. One was male, blonde, and wiry, while the other was a lean, tall, redheaded female. Their eyes darted between the men of Alpha Company, who all looked back at them with confusion.

"Uh, hi!" Waxer greeted them. "I'm Waxer! You can come sit down, if you'd like. Don't mind us."

The doors shut as both students walked back out.

"Rude!" Shakes shouted at them.

"Well, I mean... they weren't expecting us," Moxie guessed. "Maybe they were just a bit confused."

"Could've at least said 'oh, hi!'."

"Hey, if a bunch of soldiers just crashed onto your planet without warning, wouldn't you be a bit apprehensive?" Waxer asked.

"Our planet doesn't have anywhere to crash other than the kriffing ocean," replied Trapper. "Besides, isn't it uncharted? Nobody would go smacking our planet with a gunship."

"Fair enough," conceded the sergeant as he took a bite of this 'steak'. It didn't taste quite like anything he was used to, but it was certainly tasty. He just wished it was bigger portions. 

"These portions are rather small," Stretcher said, as if reading Waxer's mind.

"They weren't expecting us, kid," Moxie replied, matter-of-fact. "They probably don't have enough for us and the Academy students and staff to all have full portions. 'sides, we're soldiers. We can handle tightening our belts."

"We still have ration bars, too," Crys contributed.

"After we just had  _real food_ you have the stones to suggest ration bars?" 77 asked, trying to contain a smile and appear stern.

"I can always order you all to run drills, since Cody isn't present," the Lieutenant replied.

"Now, let's not get too hasty..." Threepwood warned him, raising his hands.

 "I think drills are just fine- we could use the extra training," Ace contributed, earning a few angry gazes from his squadmates.

"Someone's getting the ration-bar-and-glove treatmeeeent..." sing-songed 77.

"How about we actually take a day off? I mean, it's not like over a quarter of our platoon got mauled by wild animals, I crashed a gunship, and we're all about to bottom out once the last burst of adrenaline wears off," Odd-Ball suggested, voice positively laced with venom towards Ace.

"Hey, easy..." Photon said, putting his hand on the pilot's shoulder.

Crys put his communicator up, listening carefully while the troops continued their banter.

" _Crys, have the men assemble outside the cafeteria. We're needed in the Auditorium."_ ordered Cody.

"Can do, sir. I'll have them out in less than 5. Crys out." With that, the Lieutenant stood up, his back protesting slightly as he stretched himself out before putting his helmet back on. "Alright boys, break's over, let's go! Cody wants us outside."

A collective groan swelled up from the troops, who took varying amounts of time to grab their things and get to their feet, with Wildside in particular remaining focused on his meal. Crys glared at him, the trooper seeming not to notice until at least a solid minute had passed. "Any minute now, Wildside."

The trooper sheepishly put on his helmet, grabbing his rifle and joining the rest of the unit as they exited the cafeteria, forming ranks in front of Cody, who was already waiting for them outside of the cafeteria.

"I thought you meant outside of the Academy, sir," Crys stated.

"Here will do. You, CT-2044. Step forward," the Commander ordered, walking over to the rookie in question. Stretcher gulped quietly, before taking a step out of formation.

"Sir?"

"I thought you had gone with Scalpel."

"He sent me to the mess, sir. Nothing I could have done."

"You did well today, soldier. Back into formation."

"Sir!"

Stretcher quickly returned to his place, leaving Cody to inspect the rest of the unit. "We're to be presenting ourselves to the staff and student body, so I want you all on parade protocol. Keep it crisp and professional. Your dorms will be adjacent to student teams who will guide you through the process of learning the area. Since Knockdown, Edge, and Slicer will be back in duty fitness within the week, you'll be divided four to a dorm, for a total of eight dormitories. I will now assign you your living arrangements. Listen carefully, I will only be repeating this once. Waxer, Boil, Wooley, Trapper- Room 103. 44, 32, 77, Threepwood- room 115. Ego, Moxie, Swing, Scalpel- room 130..."

 

* * *

Ruby Rose found the sudden call to the auditorium rather surprising, but any reservations she may have had were kept to herself. According to Ozpin, there was an aircraft accident in the Emerald Forest that killed 14 people, and a Grimm attack immediately following. The law was able to rescue the survivors of the crash, but apparently they didn't have anywhere to go. 

Which is why, apparently, they were being hosted at Beacon Academy, at least, temporarily. Miss Goodwitch was on the stage, flanked by a strangely-dressed man with ruddy hair on her left, and a man in stark white and gold armor on her right, the latter holding some sort of gun. Was he a Huntsman?

"-unfortunately, due to the circumstances, there is nowhere nearby that can provide adequate housing for these men, and as such, they were directed to Beacon Academy by law enforcement. They will be staying in the spare dormitories until further notice, and you will treat them with the respect and hospitality we hear at Beacon always show to our esteemed guests. I would like you all to listen to Mr. Kenobi, one of the men who was rescued from the crash. He will be explaining the new living arrangements here."

With that, she stepped back, and the man on her left stepped up to the podium with a warm, fatherly smile. He waved to the assembly, before grabbing the Scroll left for him on the podium by Ms. Goodwitch. He examined it carefully, before resting it on the podium.

"Good morning, students. As Glynda stated, my name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. My compatriots and I recently arrived in Vale on a diplomatic assignment, but our aircraft was attacked by Grimm before we could reach our destination. Quite a few good friends of mine perished in the ensuing fight with the Grimm, although thankfully we landed close enough to the school that one of your staff noticed our distress and sent assistance. Myself, and the men who arrived with me, will be staying with you here at Beacon Academy for the duration of our time in Vale. As such, I figured it was only fitting that we introduce ourselves. This man to my right is Commander Cody, my second. We are in command of a diplomatic mission to foster diplomatic relations between Vale and our government."

"That guy's military?" Yang asked quietly, leaning over Ruby's head to speak to Weiss.

"It would appear so, although I don't recognize that type of armor or weapon. They're definitely not from any place I know of."

Mr. Kenobi continued on. "The men approaching the stage now are members of the 212th, my escort on this mission. Cody is their official commanding officer."

A group of about 20 or so men in armor identical in size and, for the most part, coloration, to 'Cody' stepped onto the stage, forming a motionless straight line behind Mr. Kenobi. Cody turned to face them, raising a hand.

"Alpha Platoon! At ease!"

The men all relaxed, some awkwardly stretching. Mr. Kenobi continued on. "Some of you students will be hosting my men, acting as guides and helpers for them while they learn the grounds of the Academy. Teams 'Juniper', 'Grey', 'Cardinal', 'Aqua', 'Black', 'Silver,' 'Teal', 'Crimson', and 'Ruby', please come forward."

"Oh boy..." Weiss muttered.

"Pity the poor suckers stuck with CRDL," Yang half-chuckled. Ruby followed her team to the front, JNPR coming up not that far behind them. Once they arrived at the front, they waited to see what they were needed for. Instead of speaking to them, he spoke to his men.

"Stretcher, Threepwood, Shakes, and 77, please find team Juniper. Ego, Moxie, Swing, you will go with Team Cardinal- yes, we've already informed Scalpel. Ace, Photon, Scotch, Vox, Team Aqua."

He went down the line, rattling off what Ruby could only assume were the names of the soldiers before getting to Team RWBY.

"Cody, Waxer, Boil, Team Ruby. I will join you as soon as we are finished."

"Sir!" Cody replied, looking off of the podium. "Ruby?"

Ruby raised her hand. "Hiii!"

Cody nodded, hopping off of the podium in front of her. Two other men followed shortly after him, 'Waxer' and 'Boil', she guessed. One of them took off his helmet, revealing him as being bald, with tan skin and deep brown eyes. He stuck out his fist to Yang with a welcoming smile, the blonde giving him a quick fist-bump. Weiss ran her eyes over the other man, who simply nodded his helmet at her, Blake, and Ruby. 

"Which of you is Ruby Rose?" Cody asked, looking over the four girls. 

"That's me!" Ruby replied.

"I suppose you'll be in charge until we figure out what's what around here. Who else is who?"

"I'm Yang, Ruby's sister," Yang greeted them.

"Blake," replied Blake.

"I am Weiss Schnee," the heiress answered. "A pleasure."

"I'm Commander Cody, as the Genera-  _Mister Kenobi_ said." He looked over at the bald man. "That's Waxer. The other trooper is Boil. We'll be your 'charges', along with him. If you don't mind, I'd like to see the training facilities before you show us our rooms."

"Okay!" Ruby replied, all smiles as usual. Cody seemed very businesslike, but he didn't seem unfriendly. He reminded her a bit of Weiss, what with all the properness and such. She looked over at JNPR again, noting that Nora was already hitting it off with a guy in plain white armor, while Pyrrha spoke with a man with a more orange-gold tint. Over the low hum of voices in the room, she heard him call himself 'Threepwood'.

Waxer's voice interrupted her observation. "The Ge- We're supposed to go ahead to our dormitory and get settled in now that we're assigned. Do you mind if we get a move on?" 

"Sure, why not? Just follow me!" 

* * *

"That's an odd name- 'Threepwood'." Ren stated, looking at the man in question.

"It's more of a nickname, really. There's a kind of bush called the Threepwood, has really beautiful green flowers. Saw a holopic of one and thought it looked nice."

"You nicknamed yourself for a  _flower_?" Nora asked, incredulous.

"I think that's very nice. It's very unique," Pyrrha said, smiling at the man. Threepwood was already starting to take a shine to the girl. She was unfailingly polite, reminded him of that reporter who visited Kamino back when he was in training- turns out she and her 'partner' were the ones who had walked into the cafeteria in the midst of the clone's lunch break. She was just unsettled by the unexpected guests, and was trying to get a moment alone with said partner, Jaune, who was currently speaking to Stretcher.

"My oldest sister's a nurse out at the general hospital in the city. You could probably take a class if you wanted to."

"Nah," Stretcher replied. "Not enough time, much as the idea sounds nice. We'll probably only be here a couple of months. So, do you know any good places to eat in town?"

"Well, I mean, there's a few restaurants, but my teammate Ren is probably one of the best cooks I know." Jaune discreetly leaned over to the soldier. " _Just don't drink his 'herbal infusions_."

"Duly noted."

 "Soooo, why are you named 77?" Nora asked the trooper.

"Well, you see, the way we do it, you have to be given a nickname. I haven't gotten mine yet, so I go by the last two digits of my ID number. Seven-Seven. Seventy-seven."

"Ooooooooooooooooh. Cool. I wanna call you Sloth!"

"Um, it's gotta be a clone who gives you the nickname, kid."

"Just for that, we're gonna start calling you sloth, 77," Threepwood joked, punching his brother in the shoulder. "So, 'Juniper', you mind showing us to the dormitory?"

"Can do," Jaune replied, and the group set off.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter takes place exclusively on Umbara.
> 
> Also, Stretcher, Shakes, Scotch, Threepwood and 77 are basically 212ths Domino Squad. I have plans for them.


	4. Ricochet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Siege continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While you Read
> 
> The Muunilist 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCwIncm8-ZY&list=RDGMEMJQXQAmqrnmK1SEjY_rKBGAVMLCwIncm8-ZY
> 
> The Battle for the Capitol:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAsDL7f3veM

The sound of clacking blasters, charging packs, and shifting armor were the only things audible over the rush of wind past the gunship as the 10 flew over the battlefield, barely skimming over the trees.

"Check in, team," Fordo ordered, twirling his pistols before effortlessly shoving them into the holsters, the mag seals clicking into place to ensure they didn't fall out in the event of him falling himself.

"Strider."

"Barrage."

"Tettar."

"Blitz."

"Gambit."

"Shadow."

"Jare."

"Jaro."

"Riin."

Fordo turned to the front of the gunship. "ETA to drop."

"One minute," replied the pilot, an ARC named Ophis. He'd flown them in and out of Hypori that fateful day, and he was the go-to pilot for the Ten's operations. With that information, Fordo had just enough time to brief his men one last time on their objectives. Taking out his holoprojector, he it float into the center of the gunship, where it turned on and displayed a map of the Capitol.

"Alright, men. Our objectives, as outlined by General Secura, are to destroy the surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile batteries that are shredding the 327th and the Marines. From there, we will hit the enemy's ground based hangars, allowing us to get more fighters and bombers into the air battle, as well as enough room for our air support to breathe. Then, we hit the command tower. When we do that, the Umbarans will be out of contact, causing a loss of unit cohesion, and hopefully a loss of morale. With that, our men should be able to breach the Umbaran lines and take the capitol. From there, it will simply be cleanup operations. Am I understood?"

"Sir!" replied the ARCs on board.

"Good. Prepare for quiet disembark. Check your cables."

"We're coming into range of the surface-to-air missile batteries! I'll have a limited amount of time to drop you boys off before they acquire me," Ophid warned them.

"How long, Ophid?" Fordo asked.

"30 seconds."

"The treeline ahead of the wall is clear, no?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Drop as low as you can, and land outside of the wall. We'll get in our own way." He then turned to the ARCs. "Grapple guns ready."

Almost in unison, the ARCS grabbed their left wrists, pulling down on a device on their forearm, cocking their grappling pistols.

"No plan ever survives first contact..." muttered Blitz.

"Landing now!" Ophid shouted back to the crew, the gunship lurching downwards as he said so, the doors opening to reveal the dark, gloomy Umbaran day-night. Fordo wasn't sure this planet even had a daytime. The team jumped out, Fordo motioning to the pilot. 

"Take off and return to base once we destroy this battery!" he ordered.

"Yes sir!" the pilot replied.

"Now, ARCs, let's give our flyboy some room to maneuver." With that, he took off in a combat sprint towards the wall, the missile battery looming overhead. The ARCs followed suit, Barrage and his Z-6 bringing up the rear. The only sound between them was the heavy thumping of boots on soil, followed shortly by the nearly-inaudible sound of a grapple gun firing as Fordo reached the wall. The rest of the ARCs did the same, drawing their sidearms with their free hands as they ran up to the wall, retracting their cables to allow them vertical movement. It seemed the missile tower's crew didn't see the ARCs approaching- so much the better. Quickly ascending to the top of the tower, they began laying charges in a ring around the roof, a tactic they'd used to great effect back on Muunilist. 

"Breach in 5."

Barrage laid the last charge.

"4."

The troopers holstered their pistols and unslung their various standard weapons.

"3. 2. 1. Breach!"

Barrage clicked the detonator, the charges exploding in loud, but controlled gouts of flame, the ceiling inside their ring collapsing inwards. The ARCs leapt in, splitting into three groups. Fordo and three other clones poured blaster fire into the control deck, while 3 troopers flanked to either side to neutralize the two missile batteries alongside the control deck. It was quick, lethal, and above all, efficient. Not a single soul was able to raise the alarm.

"Tower clear!" Tettar reported, he and his two seconds reentering the control deck.

Fordo tapped his communicator. "Ophid, you're clear to return to base. Refuel and await my orders."

 _"Good luck, Commander!"_  

With that, they saw the Gunship lift directly ahead of the tower, before taking off in the direction of the rest of the clone invasion force. The ARCs exited the command deck and went out to the observation platform, watching as the surface-to-surface batteries unleashed another volley of fire towards the Republic lines.

"We're going to need to move quickly," Gambit stated, lowering his visor and scanning the other towers.

"We wouldn't possibly be able to hit all of those batteries before they let off another salvo, if not more than that," Jaro said, kneeling with PLEX launcher on his shoulder. "Even if I use bunker busters, only one of the towers is in range."

"I have an idea!" Strider shouted from the command deck. "This is a surface-to-surface battery. We can hit the other missile towers using the missiles here!"

"Good thinking, Strider," Fordo agreed. "Barrage, Blitz, Gambit, left battery. Tettar, Shadow, Strider, right battery. Jare, Jaro, Riin, with me. We're going to lock in their targets."

"Sir!" The ARCs replied, scattering to their duty stations. Fordo went to the central command console, opening up a holomap of the battle zone. The enemy batteries were currently reloading, and the SAM batteries were nearly ready to fire another salvo. Three surface batteries flanked the current tower on either side, with a pair of surface to air batteries between the second and third on either side. Fordo locked in the surface batteries, while Jaro locked in the SAM batteries. 

"It will take a short time to calibrate the new firing angles, sir," Jaro informed the Captain.

"We can wait," Fordo replied. "Watch the door."

The ARCs on the command deck took cover behind some consoles, keeping their eyes on the nearby door.

 _"Tower Falx, come in. There was an explosion at your location. Status report."_ came the voice of what they assumed was the Umbaran C&C.

The ARCs silently readied their blasters. They had been given new prototype weapons to complement the DC-15As, Westar M5 rifles designed for repeated, variable-range engagements. Only Fordo and Blitz had ever gotten the full training with them.

_"Tower Falx, do you copy?"_

The batteries slowly turned towards their targets outside the bunker, the troopers manning them closely monitoring the targeting terminals for their locks.

_"Tower Falx, respond!"_

"Negative," Fordo responded.

No response came.

"Was that really necessary, sir?" Riin asked.

"We'll be out of here by the time they arrive. Batteries, fire when ready!"

The screaming of Umbaran surface to surface missiles pierced the skies to their left and right, arcs of blue-green fire bursting from the missile launchers as they let their payloads fly towards the rest of the tower wall. Each missile impacted thunderously, gouts of flame and rock flying through the Umbaran air. 

"Not bad!" Blitz shouted, throwing a fist into the air. 

"That's multiple confirmed scratches, Captain!" Strider informed Fordo. "Looks like we hit all of the towers!"

"Set charges on the launchers and regroup at the entry elevator. We'll go over our next steps when we arrive on the ground."

"Sir!" The ARCs replied, before going about their business. 

Fordo turned to the command deck team, motioning for them to call the elevator. Riin did so, with the others stacking up on either side of the elevator.

"This is going pretty well..." Jare mused, flipping down his visor and checking his M5. "I expected heavier resistance."

"Don't go jinxing us, brother," Jaro chided him. "We've still got a long way to go!"

"We do, and we'll get it done." Fordo looked back at the batteries, where the other ARCs put the finishing touches on their demo work. "Charges in place?"

"All good!" answered Tettar.

"Ready!" replied Blitz.

 "In the elevator!" Fordo ordered, himself and the three ARCs stepping through the ray shield, holding the bypass while the rest of the men crowded in. Even with the sleek, economical clone armor, it was still a tight squeeze, with Barrage being forced to hold his Z-6 perpendicular to the floor, the barrels tapping the metal rhythmically. Jare was right- they were getting work done, and getting it done quickly. The Captain had anticipated that it would take at least a standard hour to clear all the towers if they weren't spotted- thanks to Strider's ingenuity, they may have been compromised, but only after they had destroyed all of the towers. He looked over the team again- all Alphas, unlike the newer ARC troopers, who were standouts from the Army. They'd been meticulously preparing for operations on Umbara- a whole two weeks devoted to deploying on this rock, and not a single hitch had come through with the plan. Just as well- Special Forces was busy with Skywalker in the south, so any hope of backup was nonexistent. The elevator ever-so-slowly made its descent, not a sound in the compartment but the whirr of the machinery. Once they had arrived at the ground floor, the clones all but threw themselves out of the elevator, the team sweeping the area for signs of Umbaran infantry.

"Sector is clear," Blitz informed Fordo, before a plasma bolt slammed into the tower above them. 

" _Sector is clear!_ " repeated Gambit, growling in frustration as he broke to the right, lowering his visor. "Umbaran light tank!"

Jaro took a knee, readying his PLEX again and taking aim at the building the tank had fired from beside. "He's out of my line of sight!"

"Thirty degrees left!" Gambit shouted.

Jaro's launcher belched smoke, a warhead flying from the heavy launcher and arcing around the building. A thunderous  _boom_ followed a few seconds later, billows of smoke pouring out from behind the building. 

"That got him!" Gambit pumped his fist, and Fordo swore he could  _hear_  him grinning.

"Alright, men! Do we remember the objectives?"

"Hit the hangar and command tower before General Secura and Commander Keto arrive!" replied Shadow.

"Good. Any questions?"

"Sir, no, sir!" the ARCs replied. 

"Alright. Detonate the charges and move out. We're officially on the clock."

 

* * *

Aerial insertion was  _fierfekked beyond all recognition_.

In Jet's experience, gunship insertions were risky business, but only to a certain extent. One lost transport was routine, two acceptable, three tragic, but four was a  **travesty** that was completely unacceptable. Whether the Umbarans were just that good or these pilots were just that bad, he doubted he'd ever know.

"You've got to be kriffing kidding me!" Squall, a new blood, shouted over the roar of the battlefield, flak shells bursting loudly all around the gunship, blaster fire nearly clipping them from all angles.

"This has got to be the craziest bantha shit we've done since Rain!" Sergeant Stave fired the mounted Z-6 into the din below, the blue bolts tearing indiscriminately through terrain, hostiles, and wildlife alike.

"You're telling me!" agreed Bravado, firing his own door gun.

Jet sighed, a long, deep exhale from deep within his lungs.  _Focus... the men need you. The men need leadership. That Padawan couldn't give less of a feck whether all of our Larties went down. You're all these boys have got._ Turning silently around, taking stock of the troopers on board, he nodded his head. 

"Troopers- welcome to the shit! This is Umbara, the closest to hell you boys are gonna get before a Seppie puts a bolt in your brain bucket! We've lost over half of our initial landing force, almost all of our heavy weapons, and we've got a Jedi who's more concerned with a kill count than keeping us alive! We'll teach 'er right later, but for now, the 327th needs us to grab a hold of their hands and walk them across the fierfekking street! They've been fighting here for a full standard month, and still, no break in the siege. That's why we're here. Because when you need a big hole-"  
  
"You call a Marine!" the clones on board shouted.

"Right!" Jet replied, looking at the trooper farthest back in the troop bay. The clone was an odd one, a relatively new face to Jet. Captain Bacara. Stark white armor, reinforced chest plate, a shorter maroon pauldron than most commanders or captains wore, and an equally maroon kama. He wasn't dressed for stealth, that was for sure.

"Captain, when we land, I'll be splitting the assault teams in half- you will take one, I will take the other! Understood?"  
  
Bacara nodded, loading his DC-15. "Copy."

The gunship to their left sight suddenly exploded in gouts of flame, burning clones flinging themselves from the hold as the gunship entered a death spiral. 

_And then there were two..._

Jet drew his pistols, watching as his men readied themselves for battle. a last moment of calm before the storm. The second gunship banked hard to their right as anti-air fire began to die down. The infantry still had LOS on them, but at least there was one less source of fire.

"Oh, here we go!" Stave shouted as the Gunship tilted slightly, indicating imminent landing. The Marines clutched their weapons tight, the gunship hovering just above the ground. The troopers disembarked, Bacara going out last, landing in the midst of yellow-clad troopers in various states of life. The 327th Corps. One of the troopers present, an oddly red-garbed soldier with a combat visor and a pair of comms antennae on his helmet, approached Jet at full tilt, blaster at the ready. "Commander!"

Jet turned to the trooper. "You're 327th?"

"Yes sir, Captain Deviss of K Company."

"Where's General Secura?"

"On the other end of the line sir, due east!"

Jet nodded, turning to Bacara. "Bacara, bring Besh up to General Secura's position. I'll have Aurek push up with K Company."

Bacara didn't reply, instead motioning to Aurek Team, who had disembarked from their gunship. The men complied quickly, and silently, in a way that visibly unnerved Deviss. Jet hadn't heard much about the 327th before today, other than that they basically were sent out to the worst battlefields in the galaxy. Casualty rates so high it made the Marines or Krell's 112th look like shore postings. They'd recently gotten into the thrashing of a lifetime when they attempted to clear out the mines of Pammant, and before they could even get to full combat strength they'd been shuttled to Abregado Rae to beat back a Seppie invasion force. Now, with barely any time to reinforce, they were being sent to Umbara. Of course, it wasn't like there was much choice- the Republic was throwing their troopers at thousands of problems at once. The 212th was out in the boonies of Wild Space chasing ghosts, the 501st and 327th were on Umbara, the 41st was off trying to navigate the jungles of Yavin (from what Jet had heard from a brother, it's like hell over there), while the 104th was trying to solidify the Republic's hold on Boz Pity. And there were still Separatist attacks hitting the Mid and Inner Rim through gaps in the Republic's defense network, forcing untested troopers into bloody battles of attrition. The only major gain in at least two months was the 91st destroying the hives on Hypori, stemming at least one source of the droid tide.

Still, nothing Jet, or anyone could really do about it. The Republic would just have to weather the storm. The clones would have to weather the storm. 

And for right now, the storm is circling over the Marines' and the 327th's heads. 

"Aurek, get those heavy weapons up the line. We're pushing forward!"

Deviss checked his communicator, before turning to Jet. "Now's our best chance- the Umbarans have no more surface missile batteries active at the Capitol. They'll have no support!"

"They'll have no  _artillery_ support," Jet corrected him. "They've still got plenty of vehicles and aircraft."

"Nevertheless, we're need to push now! My men are running out of rations, ammo, and grit. We'll break if we keep trying to outlast the Umbarans."

Jet looked at the troopers under Deviss' command, and he could see Deviss' point. A company was supposed to have 144 troopers. As of right now, he could only see 35. 

"How many men are still in fighting shape in K Company?" he asked.

"50, sir. How many Marines made it in?"

"Not counting Besh, 12."

"Fek." Deviss turned towards the Umbaran lines, removing his helmet. The faraway look in his eyes disturbed Jet slightly. 

"High and tight there, Captain?" he asked.

Deviss let out a long, tired-sounding exhale, before returning his helmet to his head. "Yes, sir. I'll get the men ready to advance."

"Good on you."

As Deviss turned to address what was left of K Company, Jet looked over at the Marines, who watched K Company with a mixture of empathy and shock. Some of the trooper's armor was missing, with one poor trooper completely unarmored from the waist up. Others weren't even holding blasters, their utility belts completely emptied. One trooper's arm was in a sling, yet the clone stood with his combat ready brothers, pistol in hand. Deviss was trying to rile them up, give them one final second wind. It was highly likely, Jet realized, that a unit that fatigued and undermanned would be destroyed within minutes of entering combat. And yet the troops of K Company were at rapt attention, a few of them even seeming eager to get back in the fight. Even the wounded volunteered themselves- those that could walk and hold a blaster, anyway.

"Gotta admit, sir, these guys are a different breed..." Stave stated, a bit of pride tinging his voice. "Good choice of brothers to die with."

"Never seen any clone so determined to walk into hell," Bravado agreed, his eyes focused on one clone with a rather prominent bandage over his eye, an entire arm's worth of armor missing, revealing scorched and scarred flesh. He pushed a medic aside, and proceeded to announce his designation, CT-2145, and that he was ready for combat. 

Deviss turned back towards Jet, nodding. "We're ready to advance!"

Jet turned to Aurek Team, looking over them one by one. "Alright, weapons check."

"Flamethrowers, Mortar Rifles, and Rotary Cannons ready, sir!" Lieutenant Hardball replied, giving a small puff of flame from his weapon as assurance.

"Alright, then. Let's hit these Seppies where it hurts. Aurek Team, forward!"

Deviss shouted something in a language Jet didn't recognize to K Company, who replied with equal fervor. By the time Jet and Aurek had entered no man's land, K Company was already sprinting through them.

* * *

 Back further up the line, news of K Company and Aurek Team's advance had just reached the ears of Bly, who was more than worried about his second's decision.

"General Secura, two gunships from the Nova Corps landed. They've split into two fireteams, one of them's with K Company. They're charging the Umbaran lines."

Secura ducked down into the trench, taking a slight reprieve from dodging and parrying blaster fire. "K Company certainly needed the reinforcement. What of the other team?"

"They're headed our way, sir. CC-1138 is in command of the fireteam."

"Does he have a name, Bly?"

"Bacara. He's a bit rough around the edges."

"Oh, I've heard of that one," Galle spoke up, chucking a detonator towards the Umbaran lines. "Said he throws his men at the Seps in mass charges until there's either no droids left to scrap or no clones left to throw."

"Not too far from the truth," muttered Bly. Bacara was one of many troopers to take part in the Alpha Command Course. He'd never spoken to most of the other trainees, keeping to himself almost exclusively- only Neyo and Doom seemed to be able to get along with him. Considering Neyo was a high-functioning psychopath, and Doom was possibly the single most insane clone commander this side of Keller, it didn't surprise Bly one bit that Bacara was a mean son of a gundark. He just hoped the men with him knew what they were getting into. 

"Ice!" he shouted, and the comms trooper in question ran up the trench towards him. Before he could arrive, a blaster bolt pierced his helmet clean through the comms dome on one side, and out the other. The trooper fell onto Barr's shoulder, and the Sergeant in question threw his fallen comrade off. 

"Looks like we've got snipers," he stated matter-of-factly, before ducking down into the trench. "Heads down!"

The loud whirring of a PLEX Missile hit Bly's ears as a quartet of said warheads streaked towards the enemy. The impacts followed in quick staccato. Seconds later, the sounds of feet hitting the trench floor were audible over the blaster fire, and Bly looked to see none other than Bacara slinging over a rocket launcher and approaching him at full height, seeming to be unfazed by the Umbaran fire. 

"Bly," he said.

"Bacara," Bly replied.

"My men are charging the Umbraran lines. Provide cover fire or follow us at your discretion." With that, Bacara climbed out of the trench, as did the rest of the Marines with him. 

"That would not be wise, Commander!" Aayla shouted over to him, but the clone seemed to not be listening.

"Well, that's Bacara for you..." Bly groaned. "Alright, General, what do we do?"

"Leave our best marksmen here to suppress the enemy. The rest of us should advance with the Marines. They're not going to be able to win alone, even if they reach the Umbaran lines."

"Understood, General. Galle!"

Galle turned to look at him.

"Take our best shots and have them fire on the Umbaran Lines. Barr, you're with me!"

"Yes sir!" Barr replied, turning to the troopers beside him. "Come on, you wastes of genes, you want to live forever?"

Aayla stepped out of the trench, followed by Bly, Barre, and then what could be accurately summed up as a human wave of 327th troops from A, B, and E Companies. Bacara and the Marine fireteam were a fair distance ahead of them, drawing most of the fire. The Twi'lek Knight knew that clones, compared to normal sentients, had less of an instinct for self preservation than most humans, only extending to the point that they'd be able to live to fight another day, in most cases, but these men were of a totally different cloth. This 'Bacara' seemed to have no instinct for survival whatsoever, just blindly charging ahead. Sure, it was a better idea than just sitting and slugging it out with the Umbarans until there was no one left to fight, but the fact that he was throwing such a small unit of troopers headlong into the fight seemed a bit... well, reckless. But these troopers didn't object- hells, they weren't even making a sound. While her men roared and whooped and barked commands and warnings to each other, half to boost morale, and half to intimidate their organic adversaries, the Marines in front only made a sound when they were struck by fire. There were already arcs of blue light flying through the air, letting Ayla know that there was more than just Umbarans fighting in the trenches ahead. K Company must have already begun the engagement.

"Bly!" she shouted over the din of battle, searching anywhere for an answer.

"Right behind you, General!" he replied, rock steady as always.

_Good. He hasn't fallen._

It seemed selfish, but in reality, despite what some of her colleagues thought, she saw the clones as more than just flesh droids. They'd become something resembling friends to her, maybe even family, chain of command be damned. She cherished them as such, and rarely, if ever, did any of them not find themselves under her protection- and Bly was highest on that list, a solid rock that she could lean on when the burden of command grew too heavy. Jedi like her weren't meant to be generals, but troopers like Bly were literally bred for it. It was good to have someone like that on your side.

And, she noted as she saw the streaks of blue flying further and further down the enemy embarkments, it was good to have men like Deviss.

Although the sprint across no man's land was long and perilous, they'd managed it. The trench was filled to the brim with enemy combatants, forcing the troops into hand to hand combat that lasted at least an hour of nonstop crashing of plate and metal. Most of the Marines, better suited to such harsh combat conditions, were already clearing a veritable swath of the Umbarans themselves, flying fists and swinging metal colliding with faceplates, rebreathers, anything gloved hands could get a grip on. The 327th went in swinging differently- a few of the men were armed with staves for fighting off the angry wildlife, and they found new use in the close confines of the trench. When a staff wasn't an option, rifles swung like bludgeons sufficed. When the rifles bent and cracked, their bare hands would do. 

Aayla found herself dodging to the right as Galle tackled a hostile to the ground, wailing on the faceplate of his enviro-chassis with the butt of his DC-15A until the face beneath it was a bloody pulp. Bly planted his boot clean through another, before drawing his pistols and cutting down the fallen trooper and a handful of his nearby comrades with casual ease.

"Deviss!" he shouted. "Check your fire! Friendlies in the trench!"

Whatever Deviss replied, she wouldn't have been able to hear. Bly turned his head, still emptying his pistols into the crowd. "K Company is pushing through!"

Bacara backhanded an Umbaran to the ground, before firing a burst into their chest, and turning to do the same to a small crowd of their comrades. One of the marines beside him flew backwards, a gleaming orange hole in the center of his T-Visor. A member of the 327th immediately took his place, kama swinging in the wind as he planted his boot into the Umbaran clay and rained blue justice on anyone still standing in front of him.

It was going to be a  _long_ night.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, posting schedule is FUBAR.
> 
> Next chapter- and most afterwards, are going to be exclusively on Remnant- don't expect that much to be different from now on. This was mainly just an intro to some characters who will be important later.

**Author's Note:**

> I love characterizing clones who the series doesn't dwell on. In the meantime, maybe I finish this fic.


End file.
